Father arrested after 3-year-old accidentally kills himself with handgun

ST. LOUIS – The death of a 3-year-old St. Louis boy who accidentally shot himself has led to the arrest of the child’s father.

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Rodney March II, 28, was charged with child endangerment after being accused of leaving a loaded .40 caliber Glock within reach of the boy.

Court documents say the boy, Rodney March III, picked up the gun and shot himself in the head Thursday.

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“What is really hard for us is that we know these deaths and injuries from unintended shootings are 100 percent preventable when guns are safely secured,” Lise Bernstein told Fox 2 St. Louis. She is with the nonprofit Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice.

“This family of the 3-year-old will be forever changed, and the community around him,” she said.

“A decision was made based on this child’s injuries that we could not wait for an ambulance,” St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said, according to the station. “One police officer drove to the hospital, two police officers were in the backseat, and they were able to provide medical intervention for this child.”

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